Sometimes passions must be paused

Sometimes the best decision is a difficult decision. 

Yours truly encountered that reality earlier this week as my freelance
sports reporting life will be on pause for the time being. To set the
scene, I was a sports reporter in the newspaper industry for 18 years
before changing careers in December 2014. That process actually
began two years earlier but I exited the newspaper industry on my
own accord at the aforementioned time. 

After the career change, I kept my writing passion afloat by
establishing this blog but also continuing to help my former employer,
the Napa Valley Register and on occasion the Lake County Record
Bee, with Friday Night high school football coverage. After leaving
the industry, I had planned on going to games as a spectator but my
former colleague, Andy Wilcox, asked if I would be interested in
covering games. I obliged because I would have gone to games as
a spectator so why not get something out of it. 

High school football coverage became my mistress, for lack of a
better term. However, it was not entirely about Team A beating Team
B with Johnny rushing for 255 yards. Granted, witnessing the game
and articulating it was the job I was getting paid to do but it was also
about the camaraderie. Those relationships included everyone from
coaches, student-athletes, parents, game crew, etc. It was also
about that post-work pregame meal at Napoli Pizza in Vallejo, CA.
Yes, that is free advertising for my cousins but I’m doing it because
I can. Shoutout to my Guerrera cousins. 

The days were ungodly long. Getting up at 4:15a to run my route for
Alhambra water (my current job), working eight-plus hours of
physical work, eat dinner, take stats for both JV and varsity games
and write my story when I got home, enjoying fermented grape juice
in the process. Even though I was often spent from work 16 hours,
I felt fulfilled. 

I hoped against hope for that trend to continue this year but it
simply is not in the cards. The reason I am going to have to put my
freelance sports reporting duties on pause based on having three
kids (ages 12, 10 and 10) involved in sports this fall. One of which
will involve taking one to practice at a time that coincides with high
school football games. I had prepared myself for this scenario but
did not want to opt out of football coverage until necessary. This is
not the first year my kids have been involved in sports but in the
past their activities never coincided with high school football. 

While my reasons for leaving the newspaper industry centered
around its decline and the scattershot schedule making family life
more challenging, kids involved in activities is yet another reason.
I could not look my kids in the eye and say, “I have a game to
cover.” Kids’ reply, “But daddy, I am playing in a game.” I know
newspaper reporters that have been able to make it work but that
would be too maddening for my taste. 

For those who know me, I’m not a hobby oriented person. I never
took to hunting, fishing or working on cars. Therefore, my former
career became my hobby. Although I have recently taken up
making my own homemade pasta sauce. 

I'm not going to lie, there will be a void in my life not regularly
covering high school football on Friday nights in the fall. It has
been a central part of my life since moving back to California from
Nebraska in 1998. However, I only get one chance at this father
thing and high school sports aren’t going anywhere. The decision
was purely mine. No one, including my wife or kids, had to ask me.
I was hoping to remain involved in high school football coverage
but given the circumstances, it was probably wishful thinking. If my
schedule changes, however, I will reach out to my former employer.
I will also remain a fan and supporter by listening to games on the
radio and following Twitter feeds. 

I don’t need to be convinced this is the right decision but I will find
a way to keep my passion going. Anything you leave on your terms,
you can return in similar fashion. 

Sometimes difficult decisions are a no-brainer to make.